In this week’s episode, Angie and Elizabeth talk about goal setting for the coming year. Questions such as, “Where do you want to be in a year?” and “What have you accomplished in the last year?” are a good first step and help us build upon our strengths. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the laundry list of things you did not accomplish or still need to do. Keep the long term objective in mind to help put these tasks into perspective. You are always doing work, so let’s talk about how to make sure the work you’re spending time will make you proud.

How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee

Wishcraft by Barbara Sher

Bluestockings

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Story Makers is a podcast that features in-depth conversations with accomplished writers, filmmakers and industry experts about story craft, technique, habit and survival--everything you need to know to stay inspired, connect to your creativity, find others’ wonderful stories and your own success.

The hosts:

Elizabeth Stark is a published, agented novelist and distributed filmmaker who teaches and mentors writers at BookWritingWorld.com.

Angie Powers is a distributed filmmaker and published short story writer with an MFA in creative writing and a certificate in screenwriting from UCLA who teaches story structure at BookWritingWorld.com.

In the first episode of the New Year, Angie and Elizabeth dive head first into discussing the need for emotional logic to understand why people do what they do. Studies show that an explanation as simple as “I need to make copies” when cutting in line for a photocopy machine, even though everyone else is also waiting to use the same machine, is far more welcome than simply cutting in line sans explanation. With an explanation, the other people are able to recognize and connect with the feeling when it is being shared, giving them a story behind the action as opposed to action only. In narrative, if the audience is unable to connect with a character’s motivation or if the character’s actions are lacking context, the audience can get lost wondering why. Why are we able to connect with Medea in the slaughter of her children? Why is ordering food in her sleep a major plot point for a character in an acclaimed novel this year? Why does a difference in power change our perceptions about when to offer an explanation? As we set up ourselves for another year, take a moment to see what stories you are setting up for yourself, and make them your own.

Thaisa Frank

Welcome to Marwen

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

Start With Why by Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek TED Talk

Fortunately the Milk by Neil Gaiman

Sharon Olds

Personal Power by Tony Robbins

Cherríe Moraga

Angie and Elizabeth explore the relationship of story events to character as they respond to a listener’s question about how much each scene in a story must be shaped by the main character’s limiting belief. They discuss single protagonists and ensemble or roving points of view, and the emotional impact of a single death versus a million. Far ranging conversation takes them from Marvel comics to the Holocaust. Please note that Angie’s use of the term “muselmann” was slightly off: it is not someone who arrives at a concentration camp without hope but someone whose hope is worn out through the experiences there.

Modern Family

Eddie Izzard

“Bashert” by Irena Klepfitz

Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels

The Secrets of Story by Matt Bird

Black-ish (TV)

Alicia: My Story by Alicia Appleman-Jurman

Barbara Kingsolver

As Angie works on cover letters for her film and Elizabeth has a huge revelation on the next steps on her novel, they take a moment to chat with Irving Ruan about humour and his unique journey. Irving is a person of many talents—a playwright, a stand up comedian, and an engineer. Reasonably new to writing, his body of work is nonetheless impressive. Irving discusses the hardest part about writing: continuing even in the face of rejection and how trusting yourself will get you through. While he does not use his engineering degree in his writing, it has given him a strong sense of structure. In comedy writing there is the need to identify clear patterns and to combine two previously different universes. Perhaps stand up comedy and engineering? Just a thought. In short, steal relentlessly. Read other people’s humor pieces, make notes of what stuck out. And most of all, write.

Thomas Edison New Yoker

There There by Tommy Orange

Colin Nissan

I Miss You - Colin Nissan

I Work From Home - Colin Nissan

Irving Ruan Website

Elizabeth and Angie discuss many, many things in a short time, including coffee, Kafka, the relative speed of mail in the 19th century and why rejection might be more under your control than you think.

They discuss the importance of researching the journal, film festival or agent you are submitting to, the value of etiquette when presenting your project to someone who has no idea who you are or what it is you’re sharing. Think of your project as a blind date: you consider the folks you’re setting up to ensure you’ve aced a good match that won’t make everyone angry you thought of a blind date in the first place.

Links Discussed:

Ghosted by Rosie Walsh

Making a Literary Life by Carolyn See

How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee

Medicine for Melancholy by Barry Jenkins

In today’s podcast, Angie and Elizabeth sit down with actor and memoirist Peter Coyote, talking about his unique journey from counterculture to Hollywood in his 40s and beyond. After analyzing movie stars to determine his approach to auditioning, Peter shifted his thinking and found success. When Elizabeth heard this idea at Sonoma County Writer’s Camp, she was inspired by the idea, adopted the attitude, researched the agents of writers she admired, and consequently signed with her dream agent. In addition to discussing agents and publishers, we touch on the performance of politics, the difference between memoir and screenwriting, and even how the narratives we grow up reading shape us as storytellers.

Peter Coyote Website

The Rainman’s Third Cure: An Irregular Education by Peter Coyote

Sleeping Where I Fall by Peter Coyote

Light Years by James Salter

Sonoma County Writers Camp